Tuesday, September 29, 2009

It was so much fun to meet so many excited brides this weekend at the Bridal Show! Thank you to everyone who stopped by and checked out our booth, asked questions, and told us about their visions for their wedding days. Ki and I love hearing all of your fun ideas about making your day your own! Check back this week for pics from our day.

I updated the Event Calendar on the right side of this blog page so that you can check our availability for dates in 2010. There aren't many dates left available so call us today to set up a consultation and reserve your date!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A couple of weekends ago we had the great pleasure of working with the lovely bride Pam and the calm, cool groom Jim. They were a treat to share a wedding day with! Just wanted to pass the news along that their portraits are up today on the traveling Arkansas wedding photographer blog of Dale Benfield. Looks like tomorrow he will be sharing the photos of how the day unfolded, so be sure to check out the gorgeousness over at his blog!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

For our next post in our bridal fair survival guide, we want to help you save money! We are participating in the Bridal Show this Sunday, so be sure to come and check us out!

As you browse through the wedding pros' booths keep an eye out for special deals and savings for 'booking now.' Many vendors want to earn your business at the event, and will offer you great incentives or a fun gift for signing with them the day of the event.

If a vendor you love and are ready to book does not have any special posted, you can always ask them if there is incentive for booking them on that day. You just might be surprised with their answer.

Also, if you are looking at a very popular vendor in your area and you aren't sure if you are ready to book right away, ask them how their calendar looks for your wedding date. If their weekend is quickly filling you might just want to go for it.

One last pointer...many brides attend bridal fairs months before their weddings, and many aren't even engaged just yet. Don't forget that prices can change from the rate you saw at the bridal fair. If you put off booking for several months after the event, you may find yourself dealing with increased prices or package changes from the info you received at the showcase.

Don't be afraid to BOOK NOW if you are certain of the vendors you would like for your big day! All vendors love seeing new clients at these events...why else would we do them?

Don't forget to check us out Sunday, September 27th at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette Bridal Event, held in Rogers at the John Q. Hammons Center!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139: 14

After a month of keeping the biggest secret ever, I am excited to let everyone know that my sweet, handsome hubby and I are going to be parents! Yep, that's my little one above! We saw Baby Bailey for the first time yesterday and fell in love instantly. The little one is quite a wiggler, and we got to see it roll and flip and "run in place" (as Mark says). We also were able to hear its strong heartbeat at 160 beats per minute. Baby Bailey is due to arrive on April 7, 2010.

We were definitely intrigued by how quickly, in just 11 weeks, the baby has developed. Even though I had told Mark that the baby had arms & legs, a head and a torso already...he kept saying "It has arms and legs and a head!"

We are truly blessed with the miracle of a baby. It is amazing how the Lord has designed the coolest way of how a baby develops and how much He is providing for us through the whole process. Mark and I certainly can't take credit for the work that is going on in my little pooch.

The picture above is certainly not the best view of what we saw yesterday. The baby was moving so much that the doctor just snapped the best pic that she could. Just so you know, the top right part is the baby's head, then attached is its little pot belly, and below are its feet. You can't see the arms in this shot, although I think the little dot just left of the head is a fist pump! The measurement line goes from the top of the head down to the bottom of the feet.

You may be wondering how this will affect J.Bailey Occasions and all of the fabulous weddings we work on. Yes, things will be changing, but not too much. For 2010, I am limiting the amount of weddings that we will be taking. This is to benefit both the clients and myself and the baby. Since this is my first little one, I know there will be adjustment in my schedule and availability. I certainly want all of our clients to have the service that they deserve, and not fall short on our end of the deal because I did not plan ahead for this big change. Ki, my wonderful rockstar Assistant Event Director, will be stepping in more and helping out as needed to make sure that no one sees a lag in the service they receive. Please call or email if you are interested in working with us for 2010 and we can chat more about the details.

I look forward to sharing more with you about the little one as it grows and develops!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

It's bridal show time! I am going to be re-posting some tips to help you brides-to-be survive the crazy rush of attending a Bridal Event. Check it out!

As we prepare for the upcoming season of bridal events in our area, we want you to prepare as well! Here is the first of our pointers for surviving a bridal event.

When you register for the bridal fair you will probably be given a bag of goodies. Almost always there will be either a map of vendors or a booklet listing all of the participating wedding pros included in your bag. With most bridal events hosting lots & lots of vendors, you might find yourself confused or overwhelmed as you make your way through the sea of florists, photographers, and DJ's.

Take a pen or pencil with you in your purse. After you leave each booth, make a note on your map or in your booklet about that vendor. If it is someone you definitely want to meet again, or even book, circle their names. If it is someone you are not interested in for your wedding, strike through their name.

Since there will be various booths for the same service (for example, 5 photography booths), you might want to write down a visual cue that will help you remember their booth, their faces, or their product. When you get home and start to discuss who you really liked, and your mom or groom can't remember exactly who you are talking about, you can say..."the ones with the hot pink booth" or "the ones who gave us cookies."

Hopefully these bridal fair strategies will create the best experience for you both during the show, and when you get home and get to work on your planning.